The Gart Brothers

Nathan, Melvin, Jerry and Mickey Gart were all born in Denver Colorado. Nathan (“Nate”; 1903-1981) and Melvin (1920-2007), came from a very poor immigrant Jewish family. Nate dropped out of the 6th grade to sell newspapers on Larimer Street in order to help support his family. He began his successful business journey by saving $500 to buy a small store front and, in 1928, he founded Gart Bros. Sporting Goods Company. Melvin joined the business in 1946 and oversaw all the advertising for the company.

Nate’s two sons, Jerry (1933-1996) and Mickey, worked for the company. Jerry went to work in the business full time in 1953. He also opened the first branch store – a camera store at 16th and Court Place in downtown Denver. Within a few weeks, he built that store into the largest photographic outlet in the Rocky Mountain West. He added sporting goods to the upper level, took charge of the business, and what would become a highly successful chain of sporting goods stores was born.

When Mickey was 13, he went to a ski show with his older brother, Jerry. They were having breakfast with another ski retailer, and they were trying to figure out a way to do some early season ski business. Jerry wrote “bargains” on a napkin, flipped it over, and a new word was introduced to the English Language: “Sniagrab” (“bargains” spelled backward). Over the years, the Labor Day Weekend “Sniagrab” has become the largest ski sale in the world.

By the late 1960s, the company had five stores in Denver. Meanwhile, the Denver Urban Renewal Authority had an effort underway to revitalize the Larimer Street district and the original store, located at 1643 Larimer Street, was forced to relocate. The Garts considered many Denver landmarks to which they could relocate the main store, including the D&F Tower and the Old Spaghetti Factory building. Ultimately, they settled on the former Cullen Thompson Chrysler Plymouth building at 10th and Broadway, and it became the home of the world famous Sportscastle.

The Sportscastle was truly a pioneering idea. To have a building that contained a series of specialty sports shops, a travel agency, a golf driving range, a ski machine and a rooftop tennis court all contained in one store was unprecedented. This visionary concept spurred the notoriety and continued growth of Gart Bros.

The Garts have served on countless community boards over the years including the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Denver Partnership, The Better Business Bureau, The National Sporting Goods Association, Ski Industries America, Rose Medical Center, The Listen Foundation, The Hebrew Education Alliance, Temple Emanuel and The Anti Defamation League among many others. Jerry Gart was particularly active as chair of the Denver Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau in the 1970s. He was also inducted into the inaugural Colorado Tourism Hall Of Fame.

Hard work and dedication to family have always been hallmarks of the Gart family. Nate was known for saying, “If you take care of the store, the store will take care of you.” Gart Bros. was completely the stereotypical “family business.” There was really no separation between the business and the family. Every Gart grew up in the business and the topic of conversation at every meal surrounded the family business.